Niagara Falls Anti-Racism Committee

Committee Members

The following members were appointed by council in 2021:

  • Saima Abbasi
  • Donna Brown
  • Sherri Darlene (Chair)
  • Katy Kumar
  • Janet Madume
  • Angel Tran
  • Council Rep: Lori Lococo

Reporting Hate Crimes and Incidents

The Anti-Racism committee supports someone who has witnesses or been a victim of hate to report to the Niagara Regional Police.  It is important for these to be reported so we have the data on hate crime in our community.

For more on Hate Crime and Incidents check out the NRPS website or send an email to [email protected]  

Committee Events

event poster

Countering Hate at Home: Communities Resist the Rise of Right-wing Extremism

While the surge of right-wing extremism in Canada predates the onset of COVID, the pandemic has provided additional fodder to feed the conspiracy theories and disinformation that inspire the far-right. I will explore the emerging patterns that characterize the contemporary movement, while providing some thoughts about how local communities can – and have – faced down hate at home.

In light of recent events very close to home, the Niagara Falls Anti-Racism Committee is hosting this event to provide a better understanding of the rise of extremism and the impact it has on our community.  Please register for this important discussion.

Barbara Perry is a Professor in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University, and the Director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism. She also holds a UNESCO Chair in Hate Studies, a field in which she has written. She is currently working in the areas of anti-Muslim violence, antisemitic hate crime, the community impacts of hate crime, and right-wing extremism in Canada. She is regularly called upon by policy makers, practitioners, and local, national and international media as an expert on hate crime and right-wing extremism.

June 27
6:30pm
Niagara Falls History Museum – Sherman Zavitz Theatre
5810 Ferry Street

Please register ahead of time at http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/niagarafalls/Activity_Search/1311

Meeting Schedule for 2022

  • January 17
  • February 28
  • March 21
  • April 18
  • May 16
  • June 20
  • July 18
  • September 19
  • October 17
  • November 21

Terms of Reference for the Anti-Racism Committee

The Anti-Racism Committee will provide recommendations, advice, and information to the Mayor, City Council, and Senior Staff on the following:

  • issues relating to racism and anti-racism in the City of Niagara Falls.
  • consult with relevant agencies and institutions, including police, educational
    institutions, and social services providers related to complaints related to racism
  • initiate/facilitate discussions between individuals and/or groups to address issues
    and concerns of racism in the City of Niagara Falls.

Membership

Membership make-up:

Committee Composition of seven (7) members comprised of:

  • 1 Council Member (plus Mayor as ex officio)
  • A maximum of six (6) Citizen Members chosen with the intention of bringing understanding, expertise and experience in racism and anti-racism issues and human rights and that have a diverse background covering one or more of the following categories as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code:
    • Age – i.e. Youth (18-30), Adult (30-65), Seniors (65+)
    • Gender and Gender Identity – i.e. Male/Female, etc.
    • Sexual Orientation – LGBTQ
    • Faith – i.e. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist, etc.
    • Ethno-cultural – i.e. Southeast Asian, Arab, Italian, Polish, etc.
    • Physical & Mental Ability – i.e. Autistic, Vision Disability, etc.

Staff advisors from Human Resources and Culture (Recreation) will attend meetings as required to support the discussion in a non-voting capacity. Their attendance will be determined per each meeting’s agenda items and may include City staff and other stakeholder groups as necessary.

All members are subject to the Code of Conduct and Complaint Protocol for the City of Niagara Falls.

Committee Member Selection

Committee members will be selected through an application and interview process. All selected candidates must attend an orientation session. The interview panel will include the appointed Council representative and staff representatives. Recommendations will be presented to Council for approval.

Committee Member Qualifications

Committee members will have the skills, knowledge, and experience to contribute effectively to the committee’s objectives. Committee members must be a City of Niagara Falls resident, business owner or stakeholder and be generally familiar with:

  • overall community issues
  • issues facing racism issues in the community and across the City of Niagara Falls.

Terms of Office

The term of office of the Anti-Racism Committee shall run concurrent with current term of Council, or until successors are appointed; and at the first meeting of the Committee, the voting members of the Committee will appoint the Chair and Vice-Chair. 

Work Plan

The Committee members will work with City staff to set out a work plan for the Committee and outline their objectives. The Committee will report to Council as needed and will present its accomplishments to Council on an annual basis.

Procedures and Frequency of Meetings

  • The Anti-Racism Committee will meet as required, or and determined by committee members, at the call of the Chair, or at the direction of Council.
  • The dates of meetings will be confirmed upon agreement of the committees annual work plan so as to integrate well with the plans and projects under discussion by the
  • The Chair of the Committee in consultation with City Staff may cancel a meeting if it is determined there are insufficient items to discuss.
  • Half of the committee members plus one will constitute quorum.
  • Meetings will be open to the public at an accessible location.
  • Other Members of Council may attend meetings, but will participate as non-voting
  • In consultation with the Chair, staff will prepare meeting agendas in advance of the
  • Meeting minutes will be prepared by a staff member or designated committee member and forwarded to each committee member (copied to the City Clerk).

Procedural Rules

The rules of procedure will be those rules of procedure as outlined in the City of Niagara Falls Procedural Rules of Council, adopted by By-law 2019-04.